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suggestions on a planting around my bee yard!

my bee yard is on about 1 acre and I have an opportunity to do a planting around it. I was thinking about disking it up to loosen the soil . its mostly grassy weeds now. what would you plant?
I have access to plows and large vicon seeder and there are lot of AG seed company's around me.

Re: suggestions on a planting around my bee yard!

EverWilde Farms seems likes a good source for seeds. They have Anise Hyssops seeds. They have much larger quantities than most seed companies. I haven't tried them for bee pasture yet. I was thinking of trying the A H and maybe a few other things. I wonder it bees like Salsfy? It has blooms like dandelions and seems like an interesting plant. Edible too. They sell a few things on Amazon but hundreds on their web site. Prices seem pretty good too, but I don't have anything to compar them too.

Re: suggestions on a planting around my bee yard!

Re: suggestions on a planting around my bee yard!

I put in four patches scattered around the yard (the "yard" is about 4 acres). The patches together add up to about 1/4 acre. It should spread over the next few years. I also have a lot of white clover inbetween the patches, but when the yellow is out the bees seem to prefer that. It is sweet yellow clover. I found the seeds on ebay last Fall and planted then. You can buy 1-10 lbs of seed in bulk pretty reasonably there.

Re: suggestions on a planting around my bee yard!

I planted Niger this spring and the bees were all over it last of June and early July. I'm planning to mow and lightly disc it to put the seed into the ground. With that and some Buckwheat, I should have good fall pasture for my bees.

Re: suggestions on a planting around my bee yard!

I've used white clover before...when it is well watered, bees love it.
The disadvantages it has over white or yellow Sweet clover are that it's shallow rooted instead of having a long taproot like sweet clovers and shuts down nectar production quickly when it gets dry, and it has far fewer flowers per plant.

A mix of white and yellow give a longer bloom time as though their blooms overlap, they start and stop blooming at different times.

Re: suggestions on a planting around my bee yard!

Originally Posted by Kenww

Is Niger hardy enough to grow without tilling the ground? Did you mean that it will come up a d bloom again this year?

I have been planting it in an old garden which was last disced maybe 2 years ago. So it's not hard red clay. I need to test it on soil that is packed hard.
Yes, last year, I got a second crop from mowing that springs's crop. If I mow what I have now this week, it should be producing nectar in early September.

Re: suggestions on a planting around my bee yard!

Originally Posted by adamant

Larry. How long was the bloom ?

It blooms for most of the summer, but my bees only seem to work it for about a month or so. It blooms at a good time here, just as the privet slows down, the clover blooms strong. I think most of my honey comes from privet, clover and winged sumac, which is starting to bloom now.